http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070917/ap_on_el_pr/clinton_health_care;_ylt=Ap79AAi7EvsMRwgrY71BSe.yF z4D
mandatory actually
Given that <a href=http://www.kaiseredu.org/topics_im.asp?imID=1&parentID=61&id=358>health-care expenditures in this country totaled some $2 TRILLION</a> in 2005, and have only risen since, $110 BILLION seems like a real bargain.
And in 2007, <a href=http://rawstory.com/news/afp/US_health_insurance_costs_rise_near_09122007.html>health insurance costs rose nearly twice as fast as wages, 6.1% v. 3.7%</a> thus their costs have risen forcing a greater proportion of the costs of insurance onto their employees. And since only about 60% of employers in this country offer health benefits, a 9% drop from 2000, fewer Americans are covered. Those that are covered are forced to bear a greater share of the costs of health benefits in the form of higher employee paid premiums and co-pays, deductibles, etc. And those <a href=>costs are expected to climb another 6-7% in '08</a>http://www.healthdecisions.org/HealthPlans/News/default.aspx?doc_id=132630, forcing employers to shift even more of the costs to their employees.
<blockquote>Due to rising health insurance premiums, many small employers cannot afford to offer health benefits. Companies that do offer health insurance, often require employees to contribute a larger share toward their coverage. As a result, an increasing number of Americans have opted not to take advantage of job-based health insurance because they cannot afford it. - <a href=http://www.nchc.org/facts/coverage.shtml>NCHC</a></blockquote>
The net result of this, as discussed elsewhere, is that more people are forced to resort to the Emergency Department of their local hospitals for their primary source of health care. As a result they are sicker when first seen...their hospital stays are MUCH longer and much more expensive. And a visit to the emergency room costs $800 to $900 v. $150 to $200 for a physician office visit. You do the math. In the long run we all pay the costs in terms of higher health insurance premiums, co-pays and deductibles, which starts the whole vicious cycle all over again.
Another benefit to a national health system would be that employers would be freed from the burden of health care costs, witness what has happened to the Big 3 auto makers in the US. As a result, the capital saved to be ploughed back into the company raising productivity, lowering costs and making US businesses and products more competitive on the world market.
$110 BILLION for a national health care plan sounds like a bargain to me.